Cardiovascular Disease

By Annette M. Boyle BOSTON — During the past 15 years, female veterans have developed risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) at ever-younger ages, challenging many providers’ concept of the population at risk for heart disease. “Historically, the focus in… Read More

DENVER — Personalized attention from a pharmacist increases medication adherence in patients to nearly 90% in the year following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a recent study.

WASHINGTON — Veterans discharged with a diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) have twice the mortality rate of those diagnosed with myocardial infarction (AMI), yet a lack of awareness and treatment options limit physicians’ ability to manage the condition.

MEMPHIS, TN — Proteinuria-lowering interventions in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) should be implemented cautiously, considering the potential for adverse outcomes, according to a new study led by researchers from the Memphis, TN, VAMC. According to the report,… Read More

By Steve Lewis Lisa Lang ORLANDO, FL — Lisa Lang, who recently received the 2013 Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ Award for Excellence in Nursing, clearly believes her career is “all in the family.” “My mother was a nurse,” Lang recalls.… Read More

Martin D. McCarter, MD By Annette M. Boyle DENVER — Are increased wait times at the VA for colorectal cancer procedures because patients are receiving more appropriate care, or are they simply dangerous delays that could be deadly for some… Read More

SAN FRANCISCO – Too little sleep, especially early awakening, plays a significant role in raising unhealthy levels of inflammation among women with coronary heart disease, according to a new study. Interestingly, the elevated inflammation affected only women, not men, even… Read More

By Sandra Basu WASHINGTON – An investigation is ongoing “to determine a definitive cause” of an accident in which a veteran died from injuries sustained when a portion of a nuclear medicine system fell during a scan, according to the… Read More

By Brenda L. Mooney ANN ARBOR, MI – New research on short- and long-term cardiovascular risks from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could present significant challenges for the VA and the Military Health System. More than… Read More

By Brenda L. Mooney DALLAS — Adverse effects from statin therapy go beyond just muscle pain and weakness, also increasing risks of musculoskeletal conditions, arthropathies and injuries, according to a new VA study using a large military medical database. The… Read More

By Annette M. Boyle Mintu Turakhia, MD PALO ALTO, CA – Cardiologists may overtreat veterans newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, while primary care physicians may undertreat them, according to research recently published in the American Heart Journal.1… Read More

For example, battlefield conditions ranging from sun exposure to crowded living conditions to chafing and sweating caused by body armor can create hard-to-manage dermatologic issues. This year’s Compendium discusses the unexpectedly high rate of medical evacuations of troops from war… Read More

“An army is a minature of the society which produces it.”– C.L.R. James Brenda L. Mooney, Editorial Director On a recent road trip to enjoy the spring weather, my husband and I stopped at a convenience store near the Georgia-South… Read More

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A new study from the Roudebush VAMC in Indianapolis suggests survival rates are better when diabetes patients with multivessel coronary artery disease receive coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery as opposed to angioplasty, even when the most… Read More

Annette M. Boyle Maj. Bryant Webber, MD BETHESDA, MD — Despite concerns about unhealthy lifestyles and rising obesity among recruits, the U.S. military might be in better shape than ever, as measured by cardiovascular disease markers. That’s according to a… Read More

Annette M. Boyle “…low-fit patients who were not taking statins had 2 to 2.5 times the risk of the patients in the highest fit group who were not on statins.” — Peter Kokkinos, PhD, Director, LIVe Program, Washington DC VAMC… Read More

RICHMOND, VA – Even though antibiotics may lead to an increase in international normalized ratio (INR) for older veterans on stable warfarin therapy, that may not result in clinically significant outcomes of bleeding or hospitalization, according to a new report.1… Read More